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J.J. Henson’s toolbox has gone sky-high tech. Now, in addition to a tall ladder, he carries a small drone on the job.

“If you fall off a roof, you’re automatically looking for other ways to inspect a roof,” he said.

As owner of Henson Home Inspections, it’s his job to view the condition of a client’s rooftop. And, often, those roofs are two-story and steeply pitched.

“My son was watching videos on drones, and he said, ‘Dad, why don’t you fly one of these?’” he said.

The scene is part sci-fi, part child’s play.

As Henson inspected a roof on a home in Live Oak, he launched the drone from the street. With the controller in hand, he piloted the whirring drone across the roof so the high-definition camera could capture images.

Henson can view the images in real time on his phone mounted on the controller. But it’s the video that he can zoom into that really lets him inspect the roof’s condition.

“It’s an amazing view,” he said. “You can see nail heads. You can see the seals along the flashing, holes in the shingle tops, so it’s a definite plus.” Read more